Education

Seminole County Schools – Preparing For Tomorrow, Today

The School System

Seminole County Schools consists of two schools, Seminole County Elementary School and Seminole County Middle/High School. We have approximately 135 certificated employees at the schools, along with an outstanding support staff. We have approximately 1,800 students, divided equally between the two schools. Both schools are accredited by the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges (SACS). Our elementary school was named a 2004 School of Excellence by the Georgia Department of Education, and as a Title I Distinguished School six years in a row.

Being located in extreme southwest Georgia also means that we have hot summers. We are the only school system in the area with an entire fleet of air-conditioned buses. This helps the comfort of our students on those hot days and is also viewed as a safety issue.

The mission of Seminole County Elementary School is to understand the uniqueness of all children and adapt to their individual needs in order for them to attain future academic success.

At SCES, we congratulate our students’ academic accomplishments. Their proven success has led to our school making AYP for six consecutive years, giving us Distinguished School status. Our school was also chosen as a 2004 School of Excellence by the State of Georgia. Teachers, parents, students and community members take great pride in our school and its mission for academic excellence.

SCES has implemented the new Georgia Performance Standards in Reading/Language Arts, Math, and Science. The Social Studies Performance Standards was implemented during the 2008-09 school year. Educating students is our top priority. We strive for excellence in our students and staff.

SCES is housed in what was the high school. We moved into this facility when a new middle/high was built in 1995. We have several new wings and a renovated auditorium that enhances our fine arts program. Our building is steeped in history and many of our administrators, teachers, and staff support personnel are all graduates of Seminole County. Our campus is located within the city limits of Donalsonville and is convenient to many of the area attractions. Our students enjoy going on field trips to surrounding areas such as Kolomokee Indian Mounds, the Dothan, Alabama Civic Center, the Albany, Georgia Riverquarium, and many other enjoyable sites.

The mission of Seminole County Middle/High School is to establish a collaborative effort between school, home, and community to educate and graduate independent thinkers. Our mission can be accomplished by providing a rigorous academic, technical, and career curriculum balanced with fine arts, fitness, and athletics.

Seminole County Middle/High School's very attractive campus is located about 1 mile south of Donalsonville on highway 39. It houses grades 6-12 with approximately 900 students. Our facility was built in 1995. We have excellent academic, technical, fine arts, and sports facilities, in addition to an agri-center located on the main campus.

We have 70 certificated staff members dedicated to providing a safe and orderly environment essential for student learning. We have many extracurricular activities, which include literary, academics, fine arts, agricultural activities, and athletic teams. All these activities are fully supported by the administration, faculty and staff, students, parents, and community.

Four years ago we introduced Advanced Placement classes and began with approximately 10 students. The students had to take the classes on-line. This year, the number of students exceeds 80, and we have classes in Calculus, Language Arts, World History, U.S. History and several classes that are still taken online due to the small number of students wishing to take them. In terms of percentage, we have approximately 30% of our eligible students taking A.P. classes. We also began providing our A.P. students with personal laptops. This has enhanced the learning and has proven to be a wonderful tool for the students and teachers alike.

In summary, Seminole County Middle/High School is committed to excellence in education. A top priority of the administration is to foster high staff and student morale. We are presently compiling an applicant pool for all positions, grades 6-12. We look forward to receiving your application and thank you for dedicating your life to the education of young people.

Technology

Seminole County Schools has fully embraced the use of technology in both educational and administrative capacities. At both schools, all classrooms have teacher and student computers and printers. Many classrooms also have interactive whiteboards, projection units, remote answering devices, digital cameras, scanners, and many other technologies that are used in the daily delivery of the curriculum. School and district administrators and staff members all use technology to perform daily functions such as student enrollment, scheduling, and testing; state and federal data reporting; budget and accounting processes; and school nutrition processing. The two schools have all offices and classrooms wired for network and Internet access and both schools are connected by a wide area network (WAN). During the 2007-2008 school year, the system started a new project by issuing 75 laptops to the Advanced Placement (AP) students. To enhance this project and prepare for future implementations, a wireless network was installed at both schools.

Teacher Salaries & Benefits

Our teachers are paid on the state salary scale and provided a local supplement. We participate in the Teacher Retirement System (TRS), Social Security, and the state health insurance program(s). Teachers have the option of taking dental and vision insurance, additional health insurance, and participating in several annuity plans.

Higher Education

Donalsonville and Seminole County are served by Bainbridge College, a two-year college and part of the University System of Georgia. The new Bainbridge State College satellite facility in Donalsonville will allow students to take entry level courses while staying in Donalsonville to complete a two-year degree. Students will also have the opportunity to take advantage of additional courses via simulcasts from BSC's main campus and the Early County site.

BSC also has two convenient locations, Bainbridge and Blakely, both just a short drive away. The college offers both academic transfer degrees and technical career certificates and degrees. In addition, George C. Wallace College is just 35 miles away, and Thomas Tech is 60 miles away.

Four year colleges include Troy State University (35 miles), Albany State University (63 miles), and Florida State University (65 miles).